You\u2019re <\/span>supposed<\/span><\/i> to eat a serving of hummus with some veggies. But now the whole tub of Sabra is empty, and after the veggies disappeared so quickly, you broke out a bag of tortilla chips to help finish it off. [After all, it\u2019s a snack, right?]<\/span><\/p>\n Did you know: people struggle with overeating more in response to boredom than any other emotion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The healthy snack slide results in two emotions: <\/span><\/p>\n The problem is not uncommon. In fact, you\u2019re no different than most people that can\u2019t quite figure out how to make healthy snacks work for their meal plan or reign in overeating. While snacking can be a good solution to fixing broken diet plans, <\/span>willpower is an exhaustible quality for everyone<\/span><\/a>. And there are certain situations where you\u2019re set up for a fall and you don\u2019t even recognize it. These situations are called triggers, and they can lay waste to your best-laid plans. <\/span><\/p>\n Everybody has triggers. You see them commonly with people that battling binge eating disorder (BED), but overeating is not just a problem for people with a clinical diagnosis. <\/span><\/p>\n [Note: Binge eating disorder<\/a>, a diagnosable condition characterized by eating abnormally large amounts of food even when you\u2019re not hungry, feeling embarrassment or shame as you do, and having this recur at least once a week for three straight months, is a serious problem. If these symptoms describes you, we encourage you to speak with a qualified medical professional with a background in disordered eating.]<\/strong><\/p>\n Food triggers can be physical (like when you\u2019re tired), mental (like when you\u2019re stressed), or have to do with the foods you eat (some contain a sugar-salt-fat combo called \u201c<\/span>the bliss point<\/span><\/a>\u201d that\u2019s actually engineered to make you want more). The trick to breaking free of overeating is learning your triggers and understanding why they set you off. <\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure if your lifestyle is causing your overeating, then read part 1 to understand what might be causing your struggles. If you already know your problem but are not sure how to fix it, then fast forward to part 2 and read all about the different solutions. They will put you in control, so you can finally master using healthy snacks as a way to lose weight effectively without feeling deprived and hungry.<\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Feeling sad, down, or depressed<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>\u00a0People crave sweets when they are feeling down, says Brian Murray, former Born Fitness Head Coach. At least that\u2019s what he has seen repeatedly in his work with <\/span>hundreds of coaching clients<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say that a majority of people experience cravings as a coping mechanism for emotional reasons,\u201d Murray explains. Research supports this idea. For example, <\/span>a set of studies<\/span> found that people ate larger amounts of hedonic foods\u2014popcorn and M&Ms\u2014when they were in a sad state, and ate more of a less gratifying option (raisins) when they were feeling happy. <\/span><\/p>\n Feeling depressed, meanwhile, can lead to what psychologists call \u201c<\/span>negative urgency<\/span><\/a>.\u201d The term describes when people get more impulsive as they feel worse. A <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> of more than 600 women showed that those who did impulsive things when they were depressed also had dealt with binge eating episodes at one point or another. <\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Stress and anxiety<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>Your body responds to stress by kicking off a \u201cfight or flight\u201d reaction that causes the hypothalamus to produce corticotropin-releasing hormone. That\u2019s a fancy way of saying it shuts down your appetite. That sounds like a good thing, but that\u2019s only in the short term. <\/span><\/p>\n When that stress becomes chronic (as it does when you\u2019re worried about things like money, your job, or your marriage), then <\/span>your body\u2019s response changes<\/span><\/a>. Your adrenal glands release another hormone, called cortisol, which increases your appetite. Your body will also <\/span>secrete insulin<\/span><\/a>, which promotes food intake and fat storage. That\u2019s where things go from bad to worse and overeating kicks in. Studies show that stress not only causes you to consume more food, it <\/span>also leads the desire to select higher-fat (read: higher calorie) foods<\/span><\/a>. Over time, persistent stress can reinforce this habit and <\/span>make food cues more rewarding<\/span><\/a> to your brain. Thus, the vicious cycle of not wanting to eat certain foods but feeling like you don\u2019t even control what your mind tells you to crave.<\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Lack of sleep <\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off:<\/b> Ever wonder why you seem to crave cheeseburgers more after an all-nighter? Contrary to popular belief, overeating from a lack of sleep is <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>the result of having more available hours to eat. It\u2019s because the desire for unhealthy snacks becomes hard-wired into your circuitry. <\/span><\/p>\n Your body tends to <\/span>produce more ghrelin<\/span><\/a>\u2014the \u201chunger hormone\u201d\u2014when it lacks sufficient rest. And studies have proven that you\u2019re driven to want <\/span>higher-calorie comfort foods<\/span><\/a> when you are tired. Even <\/span>a single night of poor sleep<\/span><\/a> can induce these effects, but over time the cumulative effect is even worse. Numerous studies have indicated that people who get <\/span>fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night are more likely to be obese<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Boredom<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>This scenario will probably feel familiar: You\u2019re at home, there\u2019s nothing going on, so what do you do? You pop into the pantry and search for some \u201centertainment.\u201d (Then eat it.) Why does this happen? Because people will do <\/span>anything<\/span><\/i> to escape monotony. Want proof? Check out <\/span>this study<\/span><\/a> where study participants inflicted painful electric shocks on themselves to break up a long period of boredom. What does that have to do with your appetite and overeating? The same study found that bored people who had access to M&Ms consumed much more of the candy than those in the control group. Another study found that people struggle with overeating\u00a0<\/span>more in response to boredom<\/span><\/a> than any other emotion. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>You\u2019re distracted<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>There\u2019s a reason why a bag of chips disappears so much faster when you\u2019re in front of the TV: memory influences consumption. <\/span>This meta-analysis of 24 studies<\/span><\/a> found that when people aren\u2019t looking at the food they eat\u2014you know, in the same way that those Pringles don\u2019t spend a whole lot of time in front of your eyes while <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/span><\/i> is on\u2014they eat much <\/span>(much)<\/span><\/i> more food. <\/span><\/p>\n The visual cues we receive when we pay attention to what we eat can help us keep our consumption in check. And while distracted eating, in general, causes an increase in immediate food intake according to the review, the effect grew even larger as the day wore on. People who were distracted during their first meal ate more at their next one. Conversely, a different study found that women who were instructed to pay more attention to their food at a meal <\/span>snacked less later in the day<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Dehydration<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>If you\u2019re the type of person who finds salty foods irresistible, you may want to try a glass of water first. Researchers have found that <\/span>your thirst and appetite for sodium<\/span><\/a> share a lot of the same neural mechanisms. Again, you might not care about \u201cneural mechanisms,\u201d but it means that your craving for something (anything) salty might be a sign that you haven\u2019t been drinking enough. and if you\u2019re even slightly dehydrated, your brain <\/span>will send stronger reward signals<\/span><\/a> in response to salty food when you\u2019re dehydrated. So when you feed your dehydrated body salty snacks, you crave more and more. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to cut off the process before it\u2019s out of control.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to know if you\u2019re dehydrated, head to the bathroom. Athletes are probably familiar with the \u201cpee test,\u201d in which you simply check out the color of your urine. The more clear it is, the better hydrated you are\u2014although if you are taking vitamins, that can give you colorful pee no matter how well hydrated you are. In which case, you could try option #2 (no pun intended). Our friends at Precision Nutrition created a\u00a0<\/span>guide<\/span><\/a> that shows how you can learn about your hydration level (and more) from your stool. Not something to brag about to your friends, but if you\u2019re already in position, doesn\u2019t hurt to take a look.<\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Hyper-palatable foods<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off: <\/b>Reward cues\u2014what your brain tells you about the foods you eat\u2014are <\/span>major influencers<\/span><\/a> over what and how much you consume. Researchers have observed that when people are given unlimited access to highly rewarding foods like cheeseburgers, Doritos and M&Ms, they will <\/span>overeat by about a thousand calories per day<\/span><\/a>. Keep that in mind now as you consider food manufacturers will test hundreds of combinations of their foods in order to find what\u2019s referred to as \u201cthe bliss point,\u201d or the <\/span>perfect<\/span><\/i> reward cue. <\/span><\/p>\n What they\u2019re adding <\/span>isn\u2019t<\/span><\/i> riboflavin (or any other vitamin)\u2014it\u2019s sugar, salt, and fat. This is how you end up with <\/span>Prego spaghetti sauces that have more sugar per serving than two Oreo cookies<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe biggest hits \u2014 be they Coca-Cola or Doritos \u2014 owe their success to complex formulas that pique the taste buds enough to be alluring, but don\u2019t have a distinct, overriding single flavor that tells the brain to stop eating,\u201d writes Michael Moss, an investigative reporter and <\/span>New York Times-<\/span><\/i>bestselling author of <\/span>Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us<\/span><\/i><\/a>. <\/span><\/i>The bottom line: Certain processed foods are designed to make you want to eat them\u2014and keep eating them. <\/span><\/p>\n The Trigger: <\/b>Non-satiating foods (foods that never quite make you feel full)<\/span><\/p>\n Why it sets you off<\/b>: Science has shown that protein, fiber, and water are <\/span>positively associated with satiety<\/span><\/a>. In other words, they make you feel full, which helps you eat less. Foods low in those nutrients but high in fat do not provide a feeling of fullness that\u2019s on-par with the number of calories they deliver. That makes them a whole lot easier to overeat. <\/span>Here\u2019s a list<\/span><\/a> of just some examples of foods researchers have tested for their ability to deliver satiety, using the feeling of fullness provided by plain white bread as it\u2019s baseline. As you\u2019ll see, boiled potatoes are very filling relative to their calorie quotient, while a croissant most definitely is not. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Ok<\/span><\/i>,\u201d you are probably saying to yourself right now. <\/span>There are a lot of different triggers out there. What can I actually do about them?\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Some answers are pretty straightforward\u2014so much so that you probably already know them. Here\u2019s a quick rundown of practical solutions to your overeating triggers:<\/span><\/p>\n Sleep:<\/strong> If a lack of sleep is your overeating trigger, make six to eight hours of shuteye (per night) a non-negotiable part of your routine. Go as far as scheduling a\u00a0bedtime and wake time every day, so that you don’t fall into old patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n Dehydration:<\/strong> If you think dehydration might be an issue, drink more water. \u00a0That\u2019s obvious, but the best way might be to buy 3 water bottles. Put one at your desk at work, one by your bedside table (or near the TV), and a third in your car. Not enough drinking is usually a result of not thinking about drinking. So by creating a visual reminder (the water bottle), you\u2019re putting yourself in a position to drink more. <\/span><\/p>\n Distraction:<\/strong> To address distracted eating, avoid having your meals in front of a TV or a computer. Follow Harvard\u2019s recommendation to <\/span>look at the food you\u2019re consuming<\/span><\/a>. Also: Chew more. (Increased chewing has been shown to <\/span>reduce calorie intake<\/span><\/a>.) <\/span><\/p>\n Too much goodness:<\/strong> If a pantry full of hyper-palatable foods is like having a loaded gun in the house, then a kitchen makeover is going to be super helpful. Clean that junk out of your cupboards and you\u2019ll be better positioned to succeed. Or, simply put the foods that you desire most (but don\u2019t want to completely remove) in an area that you don\u2019t visit as often (like a different cabinet in your home). The less you see it, the less likely you are to grab it in a pinch.<\/span><\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: life isn\u2019t always so simple. Let\u2019s say you live in a situation where you share the pantry, and therefore don\u2019t have 100 percent say over all of its contents. Or, perhaps you\u2019re working two jobs right now, and the idea of getting eight hours of sleep seems downright impossible. <\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s before we even get into stress, anxiety, and depression. It\u2019d be pretty ridiculous for someone to try and tell you: <\/span>Well, just don\u2019t be sad. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The fact is, cut-and-dry solutions are rare. So while the usual things you read about in health articles\u2014getting proper sleep, sufficient exercise, and maybe even trying meditation to help you stress less\u2014are of course helpful, we\u2019re not going to give you some big list of things you need to do to kick overeating to the side. Instead, we\u2019re going to arm you with a process that will help you recognize when (and why) a binge is coming on, identify other options you can take, and then move on with your life. <\/span><\/p>\n Binges often follow some type of pattern\u2014one that you don\u2019t even recognize has been set in motion. \u201cFinding a way to break the pattern is key,\u201d says Jessica Robertson, <\/span>RD at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training<\/span>. \u201cThen you can brainstorm alternatives and come up with a concrete plan for confronting the trigger, vs. \u2018stuffing\u2019 it with food.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n First, <\/span>identify<\/b> the real cause of the issue. There are two tactics you can use to do this. The first is to keep a journal. It\u2019s not something you have to do for the rest of your life; three days can work. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where I have clients start,\u201d Robertson says. \u201cRecord not only your foods and fluids\u00a0but also your sleep and your feelings and emotions.\u201d That can help you identify whether a bingeing episode is purely physical, like if too much time elapsed between last meals, or if something deeper and more emotional is at work. <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s possible that your binge is simply a matter of bad timing. Some people will overeat if they go too long between meals. If that\u2019s you, eating smaller meals more frequently (5-6 times a day in most cases) could be your answer. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nPart I: Snack Triggers\u2014And Why They Set You Off<\/h2>\n
Practical Solutions to Overeating Triggers<\/h2>\n
The Awareness Answer to Overeating<\/h2>\n
Step 1: The 3-Day Test<\/h2>\n